ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that Eritrea’s re-entry into the regional organisation (IGAD) was contingent on the settlement of Eritrea–Ethiopia animosity. Eritrea’s relations with the Organization of African Unity, IGAD, and its neighbours in the 29 years since its independence \have not been free from tension and conflicts. Eritrea’s relation with neighbouring countries was also characterised by tensions and conflicts. In Sudan, influenced by the ideologue Dr Hassan Abd-Allah al-Turabi, the government of Omar al-Bashir aggressively supported the consolidation of radical Islam and its expansion into neighbouring countries. The Somalia–Eritrea relation has a historical dimension. The former was one of the few countries in Africa that consistently supported Eritrea’s independence. In a similar manner to how it failed to be involved in the Ethiopia–Eritrea conflict, IGAD did not develop a notable peace initiative to resolve the Eritrea–Djibouti conflict.
